How to pronounce penniless
Say it like PEN-ee-lus. Penniless has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PEN).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce penniless. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PEN
- ee
- lus
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Penniless pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PENSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "e" in bed.
- eeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- lusKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of penniless
American and British speakers say penniless in essentially the same way: /ˈpɛniləs/ in the US and /ˈpɛniləs/ in the UK.
British respelling: PEN-ee-lus.
What does penniless mean?
- Lacking even the smallest amount of money.“In societies without national insurance of any kind, almshouses are the last refuge of penniless people.”
- Of a country's system of money, abstaining from the use of penny coins, despite having fully decimalized currency, by means of rounding of cash transactions (but not necessarily of cashless ones).“Canada became a penniless country in 2013 simply by rounding its cash transactions to the nearest nickel but otherwise not changing anything.”
Where does penniless come from?
From Middle English penyles, penylees; equivalent to penny + -less.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Questions about saying penniless
How do you pronounce penniless?
Say PEN-ee-lus. The American pronunciation is /ˈpɛniləs/. In British English it is /ˈpɛniləs/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in penniless?
Penniless has three syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (PEN). Broken into parts: PEN · ee · lus.
Do Americans and Brits say penniless the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈpɛniləs/ and the British form is /ˈpɛniləs/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.